This week, we continue the Easter story, moving now from Mary's encounter in the garden to the other disciples hiding together in a locked room (see John 20:19-31). Even after Mary had come to them with the Good News, they are still in hiding, still uncertain what is coming.
“It was still the first day of the week.”
This is still the same day that the women discovered the empty tomb. The same day that Mary Magdalene encountered the risen Christ in the garden and then came to tell the others that she had seen Jesus.
Even after receiving this message, even after Peter confirmed that the tomb was empty, even after Mary returns excited to share the news of her encounter with Jesus, the disciples are in hiding. They were behind closed doors. They were still afraid of what was going to happen to them.
Jesus was arrested, tortured, and killed. What are they going to do to us?
Encountering the Body: In the Garden
As we enter the season of Easter, I want us to remember where those who knew Jesus found joy on that first Easter. Their joy was not in the cross, not in the sacrifice, not even in the empty tomb. Joy was found in newness of life. Joy was found when Mary Magdalene encountered the body of living Jesus in the Garden. This was the culmination of the salvation story. We are an Easter people, not a Good Friday people. And so, we look to John 20:1-18 as we reflect on what this may mean for us today.
To start with, I want us to try to put ourselves in Mary Magdalene’s sandals, er, shoes today. Over the last few days, your friend and teacher went ballistic in the temple, flipping over tables and driving out the money lenders with whips. Then during the Passover meal, he knelt down like a servant, washing everyone’s feet before saying something about the bread and the cup containing his body and blood. Then Judas, one of the Twelve, Jesus’ closest followers, led an armed mob into the garden while Jesus was praying and took him away. Jesus was put on trial, tortured, and executed. She was there until the end. She saw it all, watched as his body was pierced, watched as the blood poured out, watched the life leave his eyes.
What can all that mean for the new life he was teaching about? How can the world change if he is dead? What will we do without our teacher? He was our friend, and we loved him.
To start with, I want us to try to put ourselves in Mary Magdalene’s sandals, er, shoes today. Over the last few days, your friend and teacher went ballistic in the temple, flipping over tables and driving out the money lenders with whips. Then during the Passover meal, he knelt down like a servant, washing everyone’s feet before saying something about the bread and the cup containing his body and blood. Then Judas, one of the Twelve, Jesus’ closest followers, led an armed mob into the garden while Jesus was praying and took him away. Jesus was put on trial, tortured, and executed. She was there until the end. She saw it all, watched as his body was pierced, watched as the blood poured out, watched the life leave his eyes.
What can all that mean for the new life he was teaching about? How can the world change if he is dead? What will we do without our teacher? He was our friend, and we loved him.
Streams of Living Water: The Incarnational Stream
In many churches, this is not just Palm Sunday but Palm/Passion Sunday. Over the course of this service, we go from Jesus and the disciple’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem straight through the Last Supper and Gethsemane and into the arrest, the trial, and the Crucifixion. There is a lot packed into this service.
As the Liturgical year developed and still in some churches today, Palm Sunday is technically just the beginning of Holy Week. On Sunday, you celebrate only the triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Then other parts of Jesus’ final days in Jerusalem take place the rest of the week. Tuesday is for the Cleansing of the Temple, Wednesday is for Jesus washing the disciples feet, Thursday is for the Last Supper, and Friday is for the long Passion narrative (from Gethsemane to the Cross). Then on Easter Sunday we celebrate the Risen Christ.
But what if people only come on Sundays? What if they can't or won't come to worship during the week? Then you go from Jesus being celebrated and praised as he enters Jerusalem one Sunday to Jesus rising from the dead the next. It had to leave people wondering how that happened. Just last week he was riding into town while people cheered. When did he die?
It would be a little like watching the original Star Wars trilogy and skipping The Empire Strikes Back. We just hung medals on these guys, why is that one a statue on a wall now?
And so, we celebrate it all on this final Sunday of Lent - both the Palms and the Passion.
As the Liturgical year developed and still in some churches today, Palm Sunday is technically just the beginning of Holy Week. On Sunday, you celebrate only the triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Then other parts of Jesus’ final days in Jerusalem take place the rest of the week. Tuesday is for the Cleansing of the Temple, Wednesday is for Jesus washing the disciples feet, Thursday is for the Last Supper, and Friday is for the long Passion narrative (from Gethsemane to the Cross). Then on Easter Sunday we celebrate the Risen Christ.
But what if people only come on Sundays? What if they can't or won't come to worship during the week? Then you go from Jesus being celebrated and praised as he enters Jerusalem one Sunday to Jesus rising from the dead the next. It had to leave people wondering how that happened. Just last week he was riding into town while people cheered. When did he die?
It would be a little like watching the original Star Wars trilogy and skipping The Empire Strikes Back. We just hung medals on these guys, why is that one a statue on a wall now?
And so, we celebrate it all on this final Sunday of Lent - both the Palms and the Passion.
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